Six dialysis stations coming to Amherst hospital

The Nova Scotia government is spending$900,000 to set up a six-station dialysis unit at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst, N.S., by this summer.

Currently, 11 Nova Scotianstravel to Moncton, N.B., multiple times per week to receive dialysis treatment, the province said in a Friday news release. However, staffing shortages in New Brunswick means continued treatment for out-of-province patients is no longer guaranteed.

According to the province, theunit will be able to support as many as 16 patients when it opens. After the first year, it's anticipated the unit could accommodateup to 24 patients.

The province said the unit will remain in place until the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre redevelopment project is complete.

In 2020, the province announced plans to improve the facility, which include a new permanent 12-station dialysis unit, adding to the three dialysis units currently available in the northern zone.